ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 will take place from September 22 to 25 at the CAEx center in Tashkent. This year's edition will place special emphasis on tech entrepreneurship, the venture capital market, and international scaling, bringing together local and international founders, funds, business angels, representatives of global tech companies, and industry experts under one roof.
The program will combine several specialized events where startup teams can pitch their projects, forge new connections, and explore opportunities, while investors will get a first look at promising ventures and potential partners. For all participants, ICT Week is designed as a hub for networking and knowledge-sharing.
Startup & Venture Summit: kicking off the startup program
The Startup & Venture Summit, the week's centerpiece event for founders, investors and startup ecosystem players from around the world, will open the program on September 22.
Discussions will focus on the next stage of development for the region's venture market: the growth of local startups, capital-raising, international scaling, and the roles of government and private investors in building the ecosystem. Speakers will include founders of technology companies, representatives of venture funds, and heads of organizations working with innovative businesses.
The summit will set the tone for ICT Week's entire startup program, establishing themes that will carry through the following days.
Enterprise Uzbekistan Summit: a new tech jurisdiction for global business
On September 23, the Enterprise Uzbekistan Summit will examine Uzbekistan's development as an emerging jurisdiction for technology business, with a focus on legal certainty, institutional infrastructure, and the conditions needed to attract international tech companies and investment.
The program includes remarks from Enterprise Uzbekistan representatives, keynote addresses from EY and BDO, a fireside chat featuring IT Park Uzbekistan and Enterprise Uzbekistan, and a panel discussion titled "Rethinking Jurisdictions for the Global Technology Economy." Participants will discuss why international companies are choosing Uzbekistan, how responsibilities are divided among key ecosystem institutions, and what regulatory conditions are needed to sustain growth in the tech economy.
Global Startup Ecosystem Awards by StartupBlink: honoring top ecosystems
Also on September 23, StartupBlink and IT Park Uzbekistan will jointly host the Global Startup Ecosystem Awards, recognizing cities, countries and regions that have performed strongly in StartupBlink's global rankings.
The awards ceremony will be followed by a panel discussion, "Best Practices in Startup Ecosystem Development," in which representatives from leading ecosystems will discuss growth drivers, resource allocation priorities, and practices that emerging tech markets can adopt.
Startup World Cup: a path from Tashkent to San Francisco
One of the week's headline events, the regional final of the Startup World Cup, will take place on September 24.
Top startups will deliver live pitches before an international jury and venture partners. The regional winner will advance to the global Startup World Cup final in San Francisco, where finalists from around the world will compete for a $1 million investment prize.
For participating startups, the regional round offers more than a shot at the global final — it's a chance to test their pitch before international experts, receive feedback, and introduce their product to the venture community.
AI Native: Ideas to Innovation — from AI concept to business solution
Also on September 24, AI Native: Ideas to Innovation will bring together teams and specialists working in artificial intelligence.
The program will focus on turning AI concepts into working technology and business products, covering large language models, cloud technology, multilingual AI, robotics, AI agents, and business automation. Special attention will be given to opportunities for young professionals, including AI education, hackathons, and career paths.
For AI startups, the event offers a look at which technology areas are moving from experimentation to real, commercially viable products.
AWS Community Day Uzbekistan: technology for scaling products
AWS Community Day Uzbekistan, focused on AWS technologies, cloud solutions and broader tech trends, will take place on September 25.
The topic is especially relevant for growth-stage tech teams: as user bases expand, startups must address infrastructure, performance, reliability and scaling challenges. AWS Community Day will complement ICT Week's investment-focused programming with a more technical perspective on company growth.
Ignyte AI Challenge: AI startup pitches
Also on September 25, the Ignyte AI Challenge will give ICT Week attendees the chance to watch startup teams pitch their AI solutions to international experts — an opportunity to see promising projects, track emerging AI products, and hear founders present to a professional audience.
TAQDIMOT: Startup Show & Pitch Battle
The startup program will close on September 25 with TAQDIMOT (Startup Show & Pitch Battle), featuring short presentations and a pitch battle showcasing promising tech projects. For startups, it's a final opportunity to present their product to a broad professional audience and test how clearly their team can communicate its value proposition.
TAQDIMOT will serve as the closing startup-focused event of ICT Week's four-day program.
What else is happening at ICT Week 2026
Startups and venture investment represent just one track of ICT Week. The broader program also includes the AI Forum, Fintech Forum, Tech & Service Outsourcing Conference, Uzbek-Japan Digital Community Forum, OTS Technology Forum, GameGap: GameDev Conference, Sabriya: Women in Digital Economy, and the Uzbekistan-Middle East Tech Summit.
Altogether, the program spans entrepreneurship and investment as well as artificial intelligence, fintech, enterprise technology, cloud infrastructure, outsourcing, game development, and international tech cooperation.
Join ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 — the country's leading tech week of the year. For updates, follow along on Telegram and Facebook.
